Sanaz Yashar, an Iranian-born entrepreneur who fled Tehran at 17 and now leads Israeli cybersecurity firm Zafran Security, views the reported death of Iran’s supreme leader as a pivotal moment. While encouraged by unprecedented cooperation between the United States and Israel against Iran, she remains cautious about what comes next. Yashar believes Iran is unlikely to descend into a Syria-style civil war, yet doubts that a true democratic alternative will quickly emerge, noting the deep nationalism and uncertainty within Iranian society.

Having survived violence in Tehran before immigrating to Israel, Yashar built a distinguished career in military intelligence before transitioning to the private sector. After witnessing the devastating impact of a cyberattack on an Israeli hospital, she founded Zafran Security to address systemic vulnerabilities that allow hackers to infiltrate organizations. The company, which employs about 150 people, uses artificial intelligence agents to detect and fix software weaknesses without human intervention and has raised substantial investment.

Yashar warns that artificial intelligence is rapidly increasing the scale and sophistication of cyberattacks, lowering the barrier for criminals and state actors alike. While new tools have sparked fears of disruption within the cybersecurity industry, she argues that her company’s focus on securing complex organizational systems remains distinct. Despite acquisition offers, she says her primary goal is expanding the reach and impact of her product rather than pursuing a sale, even as she continues to reflect daily on Iran’s future and the possibility of change.